Daniel Johnston and his Love for The Beatles

Posted by Roger Cullman
Filed in Music
October 19, 2009
Daniel Johnston at The Mod ClubDaniel Johnston isn't pretty. He just looks that way.

Johnston took to the stage Saturday night at The Mod Club wearing sloppy, green sweat pants that barely held in his generous paunch. His unkempt, grey hair and lispy delivery kind of added to his charm.

Watching Johnston live isn't an easy experience. His hands tremble uncontrollably at his side, likely a side-effect of his meds. Between songs he mostly just nods to himself and stares down at his music stand.

The White Squirrels of Exeter

Posted by Roger Cullman
Filed in Travel
October 18, 2009
White Squirrels in Toronto and ExeterWhite squirrels do exist. But only rarely in Toronto. You're one of the lucky few if you've caught a glimpse of the white squirrel of Trinity-Bellwoods Park in Toronto's west end. In spite of my best intentions, I have yet to see one.

Megan at the White Squirrel Cafe across from Trinity-Bellwoods Park says white squirrels sightings are most likely around 7 a.m. near the corner of Shaw and Dundas St. W. Last week she saw two white squirrels together. There may even be a third white squirrel in the park.

Unsatisfied with my chance encounters with an albino squirrel in Toronto, I took a day trip to Exeter, Ont. where white squirrels are not only the town's mascot (Willis The White Wonder), they're there in abundance. Or so I thought.

Psychedelic Furs Heat Up the Kool Haus

Posted by Roger Cullman
Filed in Music
October 16, 2009
Psychedelic Furs at Kool Haus in TorontoThe Psychedelic Furs clearly enjoyed performing as much as the audience at the Kool Haus enjoyed watching them.

Led by an animated Richard Butler, who sings in a Sprechgesang style, the Furs' songs came alive on stage. Opening with Love My Way and continuing with a handful of hits, including President Gas, Ghost In You and the familiar Pretty In Pink, the title song to the 1986 John Hughes' film of the same name.

Kylie Minogue is Love at First Sight at Canadian Debut

Posted by Roger Cullman
Filed in Music
October 11, 2009
Kylie Minogue at the ACC in TorontoKylie Minogue wowed her fans Friday night at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto during her first ever Canadian performance.

The anticipation was thick before the start of the show, as there was a half hour delay from the scheduled start. No opening band. Just hordes of glamorous couples, eager to get their dance on. In darkness, among shrieks of anticipation, the 20th Century Fox theme song boomed from the speakers. Then she made her grand entrance.

Descending atop a metallic skull, Kylie was fabulously clad in a Jetsons-meets-Barbarella outfit, only with puffy boas on top. She kept the crowd on its feet for most of the two-hour-long disco-laden set, which included about a dozen costume changes, an athletic crew of hot, young dancers, a laser light show and video projections.

Scramble Crossing at Yonge and Bloor

Posted by Roger Cullman
Filed in City
October 7, 2009
Scramble CrossingToronto will get its second scramble crossing this Friday -- this one at the busy intersection at Yonge and Bloor. This follows in the footsteps of the well received experiment at Yonge and Dundas where the city's first scramble crossing was implemented just over one year ago.

Nuit Blanche in Photos - Zone C

Posted by Roger Cullman
Filed in Arts
October 5, 2009
nuit blanche photos 2009I spent my Nuit Blanche in Zone C, starting in Liberty Village and making my way along West Queen West from Dufferin St. to just east of Ossington Ave. Here's a look at what impressed me most along the way.

The most memorable moment for me came in front of a busy Queen West sidewalk near The Drake Hotel. An elaborately dressed woman was enticing passersby to create their own award for themselves or someone else.

After wandering into several art galleries along the strip that smelled of freshly painted work, I awarded my Nuit Blanche companion the Sexiest Sneezer Award. She was led to a podium, where she stood, got sprinkled with sparkles and received the award, complete with a stamped certificate of authentication. Brilliant. But is it art?